Fernanda
Fernanda was the 551st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 549 babies. Its best year was 2009, when it ranked 258th with 1,274 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 12 places. More babies were named Fernanda in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning feminine of Fernando (Ferdinand) · Germanic, Spanish
Say it fer-NAHN-duh /fɛrˈnɑndə/
- Rank in 2025
- #551 girls, up 20 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 549girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20091,274 babies
- Total since 1880
- 20,156babies recorded
What does the name Fernanda mean?
Fernanda is the Spanish, Portuguese and Italian feminine of Fernando, the form of Ferdinand. DMNES derives Ferdinand from Old High German fridu, "peace", and a Germanic root *nanþ-, "brave, daring", and lists many kings of Castile, León and Aragon. Fernanda is common in Mexico and Brazil and among Latino families in the US.
fridu (Old High German, “peace”)*nanþ- (Proto-Germanic, “brave, daring”)
How sure is this? Probable. The first element of Ferdinand is read as 'peace' or 'journey'.
Related names: Fernando, Ferdinand, Nanda.
See also: Germanic names, names that mean brave.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Ferdinand', DMNES, Durham University
- Wiktionary, entry 'Fernando', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Nicknames for Fernanda
The usual nicknames for Fernanda are Fer.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fer · also for Fernando | Modern | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Fernandas go by each one.
Fernanda popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 26 since 1970.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #551 | 549 |
| 2020 | #571 | 512 |
| 2010 | #344 | 936 |
| 2000 | #566 | 461 |
| 1990 | #2,069 | 64 |
| 1980 | #4,580 | 16 |
| 1970 | #3,631 | 17 |
| 1960 | #4,901 | 8 |
| 1950 | #4,067 | 8 |
| 1940 | #2,808 | 10 |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | #3,734 | 8 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Fernanda, counting every spelling?
Fernanda has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #550 for girls in 2025, against #551 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Fernanda?
549 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Fernanda (0.15 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Fernanda born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 15 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Fernanda.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Fernanda?
About 19,700 people born in the US named Fernanda are alive today, with a median age of 16; half are between 9 and 21. That makes Fernanda mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Fernanda by state
How common Fernanda was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Texas (2.8×), Nevada (2.2×), California (2.1×), Arizona (2.0×), Colorado (1.8×). In 18 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Fernanda: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Fernanda, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Fernanda · Sibling names for Fernanda
Questions about the name Fernanda
What does Fernanda mean?
Fernanda means “feminine of Fernando (Ferdinand)” (Germanic, Spanish origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Fernanda?
Fernanda was the 551st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 549 babies. Its best year was 2009, when it ranked 258th with 1,274 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 12 places. More babies were named Fernanda in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Fernanda a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Fernanda in the US.
Where is Fernanda most popular?
In 2021–2025, Fernanda was most common in Texas (1.04 per 1,000 girls), followed by Nevada and California.